{"id":203,"date":"2026-03-04T05:15:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T05:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/?p=203"},"modified":"2026-03-04T05:15:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T05:15:14","slug":"education-leader-challenges-transportation-professionals-to-reimagine-compliance-and-student-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/04\/education-leader-challenges-transportation-professionals-to-reimagine-compliance-and-student-access\/","title":{"rendered":"Education Leader Challenges Transportation Professionals to Reimagine Compliance and Student Access"},"content":{"rendered":"
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RISCO, Texas \u2014 Federal and state special education policy expert Glenna Wright-Gallo delivered a transformative message Sunday at the Transporting Students with Disabilities and Special Needs (TSD) Conference about moving beyond mere compliance by creating meaningful educational experiences for students with disabilities, particularly through transportation services.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The general session underscored a fundamental message: transportation is not about moving students from one place to another, but about creating opportunities for learning, growth and inclusion.<\/p>\n

Wright-Gallo, the former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services during the Biden administration and currently vice president of policy for assistive technology company Everway, began by challenging the audience views on the traditional approach to compliance.<\/p>\n

\u201cCompliance for the sake of compliance isn\u2019t effective,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n

She illustrated this point by comparing compliance to speed limit signs \u2014 many motorists don\u2019t naturally slow down simply because a sign exists. Instead, she urged student transportation professionals to view their work as a critical component of student learning and access. \u201cNo matter what happens, no matter what political party is in the majority, education is a bipartisan issue, and children don\u2019t have time for adults to get it together, right?\u201d she said as as the audience applauded.<\/p>\n

The presentation dove into recent policy shifts, highlighting how federal guidance is evolving to view transportation as more than a logistical challenge. \u201cTransportation is access,\u201d she emphasized, explaining that recent joint guidance from the U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Transportation now explicitly frames transportation as a civil rights issue directly linked to student attendance and academic success.<\/p>\n

During interactive group discussions, attendees revealed significant challenges in interdepartmental communication. One participant shared an example of managing a student who has an autism spectrum disorder, describing how they created reasonable modifications like positioning the student behind the driver to manage specific behavioral challenges. Another transportation director discussed the complexities of coordinating with special education departments, noting frequent communication gaps and last-minute changes that impact transportation planning.<\/p>\n

Technology emerged as a potential solution to these challenges. Wright-Gallo encouraged innovative approaches, with one participant sharing how they used AI to create monthly training modules that build upon each other.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsing AI, I made a training for every month that builds upon the previous months. I present it to my coordinators when we have our monthly meetings, and then they take it out and give it to their drivers that work under them,\u201d explained John Haas, transportation director for Onslow County Schools in North Carolina. \u201cThat way, my whole district is being trained on the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The funding landscape presented another critical challenge. Wright-Gallo acknowledged the uncertainties at state and federal levels, with many states still struggling to pass budgets. She proposed creative solutions, including exploring alternative funding sources and developing more collaborative approaches between different educational departments.<\/p>\n

A key moment came when Wright-Gallo challenged participants to think beyond traditional compliance metrics. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what decision we make if it doesn\u2019t result in something different for a student,\u201d she declared, urging participants to focus on meaningful outcomes rather than bureaucratic checklists.<\/p>\n

The discussion around technology was particularly nuanced. While embracing innovation, Wright-Gallo also cautioned against wholesale technological adoption. \u201cWhatever goes into a learning management system comes out of it,\u201d she noted, emphasizing the importance of high-quality initial content and training.<\/p>\n

Participants were particularly engaged when discussing strategies for inclusive training and professional development. One transportation director shared their approach of coordinating annual in-service training with the special education department, demonstrating the type of collaborative approach Wright-Gallo advocated.<\/p>\n

She concluded her keynote with a powerful call to action: \u201cLead where you live. Don\u2019t wait for someone to give you the title of leader. Do what\u2019s right.\u201d She challenged participants to identify one concrete action they could take in the next 30 days to improve transportation services for students with disabilities.<\/p>\n

Thursday afternoon, Wright-Gallo also presented a breakout session on transforming complex Department of Education guidelines in the form of \u201cDear Colleague\u201d letters into practical, everyday applications.<\/p>\n

\"\"She highlighted the intersection of key federal laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504, demonstrating how these regulations directly impact transportation services. She shared compelling stories illustrating policy gaps, such as substitute school bus drivers incorrectly denying service animals or mishandling students with neurodivergent conditions.<\/p>\n

Regarding service animals, allowed by Section 504 of the ADA, Wright-Gallo clarified that only dogs and miniature horses qualify, and that districts can only ask two specific questions when presented with the request for service: Is the animal is required due to disability rather than being an emotional support animal, and what specific tasks does it perform?<\/p>\n

She stressed the importance of avoiding blanket policies that might inadvertently discriminate against students with disabilities.<\/p>\n

Funding emerged as another critical theme, with Wright-Gallo revealing multiple potential funding streams for transportation services, including innovative uses of federal funds for training, hiring and supporting student needs. She encouraged transportation directors to explore creative funding approaches and build cross-departmental partnerships.<\/p>\n

Assistive technology received significant attention, with Wright-Gallo defining it broadly\u2014from low-tech picture boards to high-tech communication devices. \u201cAssistive technology does not replace a teacher or driver, it enables participation and independence,\u201d she explained, emphasizing that these tools must be accessible during transportation and all school activities.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":205,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"dipi_cpt_category":[],"class_list":["post-203","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=203"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":206,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/203\/revisions\/206"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=203"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=203"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=203"},{"taxonomy":"dipi_cpt_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tsdconference.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/dipi_cpt_category?post=203"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}